Coral Reef Restoration Can Help Prevent Flood-Driven Pollution Along Florida’s Coast
While coral reefs are well known for their ability to buffer coastal communities from storm-driven waves, this study is the first to assess how restoring reefs could lower the risk of flood-related pollution along Florida’s extensive 460-kilometer coral reef-fringed coastline. By mitigating wave-driven flooding, coral reef restoration could significantly reduce the likelihood of contamination from key infrastructure such as petroleum storage tank systems, onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems, and wastewater treatment plants. Reducing the risk of pollution translates into major environmental and economic benefits. The study estimates that the present value of infrastructure protection and pollution prevention provided by
Satellite-Derived Shoreline Change Along Western Long Island, New York
The study found that the western ends of these beaches have been steadily growing, or accreting, at a rate of about 4 meters per year. This trend is attributed to net westward longshore drift, a process driven by ocean currents that move sediment along the coastline. Meanwhile, the central sections of the beaches, particularly areas with groin fields—structures designed to trap sand—showed slower rates of shoreline change, typically between 0.5 and 1.5 meters per year. One notable observation was the presence of so-called sediment waves, or patterns of erosion and accretion lasting several years, moving westward along the shoreline during the
New Wave Glider will study Earthquake Processes along U.S. Subduction Zones
The SV3 wave glider allows USGS scientists and collaborators to collect seafloor geodetic data, which relies on accurate measurements of the Earth's geometric shape, gravity field, and orientation in space to continuously monitor seafloor movement. The principal scientific objectives are to constrain shallow strain accumulation between large earthquakes and to estimate the amount of strain released during and shortly after large subduction zone earthquakes. Equipped to collect global navigation satellite system and acoustic ranging (GNSS-A) seafloor geodetic data from some of Earths most critical remaining data gaps, the glider can travel faster between sites and operate in high current areas like Alaska, thanks